Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the brightest young stars in baseball, as the 22-year-old Padres shortstop finished fourth in NL MVP voting last year and won the Silver Slugger award at the shortstop position. His flair for the game has made him a fan favorite, but that swagger is matched by skill as he is one of the most talented players in the game, regardless of position, and that he is such a tremendous two-way player at a premium spot like shortstop makes him all the more valuable.
Despite heading into just his third season in the majors this year, the Padres, who invested heavily this offseason in upgrading their roster, made sure to lock down their superstar to a new contract extension. On Wednesday night, word emerged from numerous outlets that a deal had been reached between the two sides on a massive 14-year, $340 million deal that will keep him in San Diego, it seems, through his prime.
BREAKING: Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a 14-year, $340 million contract extension, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 18, 2021
Breaking: Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres have agreed to a 14-year extension worth more than $300 million, sources tell me and @Ken_Rosenthal.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 18, 2021
Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a 14-year, $340 million contract extension, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 18, 2021
It is a huge amount of years for a deal and puts him in the ballpark with Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, and Giancarlo Stanton for the biggest contracts in baseball history. Those three make more on an annual basis, with Betts on a 12-year, $365 million deal with the Dodgers, Trout on a 10-year, $360 million deal with the Angels, and Stanton making $325 million over 13 years, but for a young player like Tatis it assures him a lifetime of financial security and has him among the elite in the game. On the Padres side of things, this deal will likely look like a bargain by the time Tatis is in his prime as we continue to see contract figures rise and it assures them of having one of the game’s best for a very long time. They keep their superstar happy as he continues to grow and develop, Tatis gets paid as he should, and San Diego will remain a focal point of the baseball world for years to come.